


Existing Together (Better than Hurting Alone)

by costumejail



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: California (Comics)
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Hair Braiding, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, Smoking, Some of them at least, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, have this, it doesnt come up but kobra is trans lol, oh wow! me? writing fun ghoul hc? unheard of, this will maybe become a multichap at some point but for now?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/costumejail/pseuds/costumejail
Summary: “Your hair’s down,” Kobra pointed out.Harshly, Ghoul laughed. “Never seen a guy with long hair, Kid?”“Never seen you with it down.”
Relationships: Fun Ghoul & Kobra Kid (Danger Days)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 26





	Existing Together (Better than Hurting Alone)

**Author's Note:**

> I did really want to make this a multichap and I still might but all my writing ideas have gone in a wildly different direction for the moment so. Enjoy.  
> ALSO title creds to Krys [@starman-trashcan.](https://starman-trashcan.tumblr.com/)

Rustling and a muttered curse drew Kobra’s attention. He popped his head through the kitchen door and scanned the dining room. Fun Ghoul was sitting cross-legged in front of the couch, tearing at his hair with both hands. Stepping just a bit into the dining room, Kobra leaned against the wall to watch. As best he could figure, Ghoul was redoing the two braids that were the only way he ever wore his hair, but the longer Kobra watched, the more frustrated Ghoul seemed to be with it.

Attempts at braiding turned into sharp tugs on the ends of his long hair until Ghoul reached into his pocket, flicked open a knife and held it to the knotted mass of hair.

“Ghoul.”

Ghoul stopped pulling at his hair for long enough to shoot a suspicious glare at Kobra. It was an intimidating look, no doubt perfected over years of staring down whatever kind of shady figures had been a part of Ghoul’s past, but it wasn’t quite enough to deter Kobra. Not while the knife in Ghoul’s other hand still glinted where it was poised to hack off his braid.

“Gonna smoke, if you want to…” Kobra let his sentence hang in the air for only a moment before he moved forward and left the diner.

As he climbed the ladder bolted to the side of the building, he heard the familiar tinkle of the bell above the diner’s door. His heart lifted as the ladder shook with an added body, and again when Ghoul dragged himself onto the roof and sat next to Kobra.

Closer to the edge than Kobra, but still next to him.

Kobra shook two cigarettes out of the pack he’d lifted from Tommy Chow Mein’s and lit one, handing the other to Ghoul. Ghoul leaned in so that Kobra could light the stick for him, despite the multiple lighters Kobra knew Ghoul always carried. They smoked to the sounds of the buzzing neon sign and the whispering wind and were each on their second cigarette before Kobra started to talk.

“Your hair’s down,” he pointed out.

Harshly, Ghoul laughed. “Never seen a guy with long hair, Kid?”

“Never seen you with it down.”

“Well,” Ghoul’s laugh was a little shakier. “Maybe I wanted a change.”

Kobra didn't buy that.

“Can I?” Kobra flicked his butt to the side and inched toward Ghoul. “I've done Jet’s, I know how.”

“Congrats,” snarked Ghoul. Still, his eyes slipped shut when Kobra slowly reached out and ran his fingers over Ghoul’s tangled hair. “Kobra—”

Kobra stilled, but Ghoul didn’t continue. Again, Kobra inched closer, his knees against Ghoul’s thigh, then he reached out again. He caught the end of Ghoul’s half-undone braid and began to work through the knots.

It took a fair bit of concentration, whatever progress Ghoul had made in getting his hair braided had been seriously derailed and the warped mess of a plait left behind was bad enough that Kobra could understand why Ghoul had nearly taken a knife to it. He didn’t voice those thoughts, though. The worst of the knotting was concentrated at the lower half of the braid and Kobra had all the time in the world. By the time he got through the first braid, Ghoul’s cigarette had burned out at his knee. He didn’t seem to notice, had barely moved since Kobra first touched his hair.

“Okay?” Kobra murmured.

Jerkily, Ghoul nodded.

Just once, Kobra ran his fingers through Ghoul’s hair, root to tip, and then split it into three parts and began to braid it. The over-under-over was soothing, it was nice that Ghoul’s hair was long enough that Kobra could really get into it before he reached the end. Not like braiding Party’s hair. He braided right down to the very ends, securing them with a hairtie that he slid off of his wrist.

The other side was easier, Ghoul had only undone the braid, not restarted it, so the only knots were what had accumulated since the last time Ghoul’s hair had been brushed. It still took Kobra a few minutes to get it all detangled. Then he braided it back together and tied it off and sat back.

Head bowed and eyes closed, it almost looked like Ghoul hadn’t realized that Kobra was done.

“I’m do—”

“I know,” Ghoul whispered thickly.

Kobra lit another cigarette and waited for Ghoul to compose himself. After a few drags, Ghoul held a hand out without looking at Kobra. Kobra passed the stick over, tracking the slow slide of tears down Ghoul’s cheeks in the glow of the ember. The light faded and Ghoul’s face was obscured in a cloud of smoke, curling over his face before rising up and dissipating in the still air. 

“Thanks.” Another cloud of smoke hid Ghoul’s face as he spoke.

Kobra nodded. He stole back his cigarette and took a drag. 

“Been a while since— I haven’t— It’s nice. You’re good at braiding.”

“I’m good at braiding,” agreed Kobra. He didn’t push Ghoul to explain whatever aborted statements hung in the air. They’d come, it’s not like Ghoul knew everything about Kobra yet, either.

The sun had set at some point while Kobra was braiding Ghoul’s hair, but there was enough light to see by and the night chill hadn’t settled in yet. The two ‘joys sat in silence until the cigarette burned down to the end. Then they sat in silence until Poison yelled for them to come in and take a look at his broken radio.

Ghoul let himself down the ladder first, flicking his fresh braids back over his shoulder before sliding down the rungs. Kobra took another minute to survey the blue-toned desert around their home before following him down.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos appreciated!


End file.
